Apparatus for contouring the ends of tubular stock



J. S. M GUIRE Sept. 8, 1942.

APPARATUS FOR CONTOURING THE ENDS OF TUBULAR STOCK Filed Dec. 23, 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. 06/7 51 Ma a/we Sept. 8, 1942. J. 5. M GUIRE 2,295,229

APPAfiAfusl FOR cou'rounme THE ENDS OF TUBULAR STOCK Filed Dec. 23, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Jab/7 51 Ma whe Sept. 2- J. s. MCGUIRE 2,295,229

APPARATUS FOR CONTOURING THE ENDS OF TUBULAR s'rock Filed Dec. 25, 1949 v 3 Sheets-Sheet s IN N l INVJENTQR. J0/7/7 Z. We 620/1? BY 3 g rrar/vEr' Patented Sept. 8, 1942 APPARATUS FOR CONTOURING THE ENDS 0F TUBULAR STOCK John S. McGuire, Kansas City, Kans. Application December 23, 1940, Serial No. 371,367

3 Claims.

relatively small diameters, and especially the tubing now commonly employed in the aircraft industry where the diameters are so small as to preclude the employment of present cutting equipment that has a minimum limit imposed thereon by the physical dimensions of such parts thereof as the tracing wheels.

A further object of the instant invention is to provide a machine for contouring the ends of tubes of comparatively small diameters having means for supportingthe tubein juxtaposition to a cutting torch, apparatus for rotating the tube in-its support, and means for reciprocating the torch as the tube is rotated, said machine employing a template wherein the transverse -components are greater in length than the like components formed on the tube, but where the longitudinal components of the template are the same as the longitudinal components of the 3 contoured tube end.

This invention has for a yet further object, the

provision of cutting equipment for tubing whereing relative movement is imparted to a cutting torch and'the tube through the medium of specially designed template, the nature of which permits contouring and slotting the ends of.

tubular; stock of small diameters.

Another object of the invention is the provision in amachine of the aforementioned character, of equipment for protecting certain portions of the tube being cut and for collecting ,foreign matter as the cutting operation progresses. L

It is a further aim of the present invention to provide novel, unique and inexpensive apparatus for embodying the broad concepts, which apparatus is capable of employing templates of either a planer or an annular form but which templates are developed with a transverse component greater than the transverse component of the cut being produced, to theend that small tubing,

such as airplane stock, may have the ends thereof contoured and longitudinally slotted with the utmostdegree of accuracy.

Minor objects of the invention, the manner of embodying the broad concepts in operable equipment, and the advantages arising from the use of the apparatus will appear during the course of the following specification, referring to the accompanying drawings wherein:.

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a'machine for contouring the ends of tubular stock, made in accordance with the present invention.

, Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional 'view through the same taken ,on line 11-11 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through the slag collecting tray and its operating mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of apparatus for contouring the ends of tubular stock, made in accordance with a modified form of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the machine shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on line VI VI of Fig. 4.

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary plan view of a machine embodying the invention made to illus trate a modified form thereof.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a length of tubing showing the contoured end thereof.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary elevational view of a 7 joint between the tubing shown in Fig. 8 and another tubular structural element; and

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the template employed in producing'the cut shown at the end of the tube illustrated, in Fig. 8.

Heretofore, conventional templates employed in guiding cutting torches for producing shapes from stock have beendevelope'd by using the principles of descriptive geometry but where tubular members of small diameters are to bev severed and contoured and where'such tubular stock is to be provided-with longitudinal slots for the reception of gusset plates. for example, one of the components of the template was too short due to the tracing wheel, which must of necessity, have a dimension that could not-drop below a certain minimum. I

Airplane tubing having diameters less than 1 in. is common and where engine mounts are formed from such tubing, for example. the 'oints created by the juncture of several lengths of tubing embodies unusual demands upon the equipment employed to contour the said ends.

The equipment contemplated by this invention contoured in from to 7 sec.-

. components.

possible by methods now known, but will operate at speeds commensurate with the demands of the industry. Actual tests show that 1 in. aircraft tubing having a wall thickness of .065 in. may be specification makes clear the manner of constructing and operating apparatus illustrated in the drawings. It must be borne in mind that equipment different from that about to be de- The following scribed however, may be utilized without effecting the result so long as the basic concepts are followed.

' In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the preferred form of the invention is shown and the apparatus diagram-- matically illustrated therein comprises any suitable support in the nature of a table I2 upon which is mounted blocks I4 for journalling chuck I8 through which is projected the tube I8 into juxtaposition to torch 28. Torch 28 is conventional in design. In this specification longitudinal refers to a direction parallel the'length of tube I8, and transverse" refers to a direction at right angles to'the length of tube I8.

Annular template 22 mounted upon chuck I 8 for rotation therewith, has a contoured face 24 consisting of both transverse and longitudinal These components have a. definite relation to the path of travel of torch 28 and the relation of the transverse and longitudinal components of template 22,'with respect to 'components of the cut, will be hereinafter set down in a description which will clarify the relation of the components of the later described planar template and the path of the cut.

Motor 26 mounted upon table 28 drives the magnetic tracing device 38 having thewheel 32. This wheel 32 is in contact with contoured face 24 and remains in such position because of the action of magnetic tracing device 38. This device has heretofore been employed in the art and the characteristics thereof are therefore well-known.

Table 28 is mounted upon tracks 34 through the medium of rollers or the like 36 for free reciprocation. Torch 28 mounted upon the free end of arm 38 moves with table 28 for said arm 38 is mounted upon table 28 as at 48.

In most instances, the contour at one end of tubing I8 must be cut with respect to the contour of the other end thereof. Means for properly holding tube I8 therefore, is provided in the nature of an indexing device, generally designated by the numeral 42 that is swingably carried by bracket 43 mounted upon shaft 44 and counterweighted as at 46. Tube I8 has the end 48 contoured as illustrated in Fig. 1 and a short piece of tube 58 having a'contour complementary to the shape of end 48 is mounted in indexing device 42.

Indicia 52 cooperate with pointer 54 in allowing the operator to position tube I8 with respect to torch 28. Indicia 52should indicate the degrees of a circle and when member 58 is rotated with indexing device 42, tube I8 is positioned to cause torch 28 to properly form the end adjafrom torch 28 passes through the wall of the tube. Tray 56 1s reciprocably mounted and is spaced from the irmer face of tube I8 so as not to establish frictional engagement to retard the action of 'the'apparatus. Such equipment as is adaptable for moving tray 56 longitudinally to and from the position shown in Fig. 3, may be employed. It has been found satisfactory to use an air-cylinder 58 having-a piston 68. therein and supplied with motivating fluid through tubes 82 and 64.

'A modified form of the invention is diagrammatically shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. In this instance, tube I88 is mounted for rotation with chuck I8I, which in turn rests upon rollers I82 carried by table I84, and is revolved about its axis through the medium of cable I86 having weight I88 thereon. This cable I86-is wrapped around chuck IN and while weight I88 is at one end thereof, the other end is secured as at II8 to plate II2 reciprocably mounted upon tracks II4 carried by table I84.

Planar template II6 supported on plate H2 is engaged by wheel II8 forming a part of'the magnetic tracing device I28 driven by motor I22. Motor I22 is mounted on table I24 with bracket I26 that carries torch-I28. Table I24 is reciprocably mounted on a part of table I84 through the medium of tracks I38 and rollers I32. Plate II2 rides over tracks'II I and wheels I34 contribute to the ease of operation.

In Fig. '1 a modified form of the invention 15 and the magnetic tracing device 2I8 has wheel 2I2 to ride over the face of templat 2I4 in exactly-the same manner as heretofore mentioned.

. Torch '2I8 carried by bracket 2I8 is not movable but thetube I8 is carried by chuck 288 to move both longitudinally and rotatably with respect to torch 2 I6. Precisely the same results are accomplished when this form of the apparatus is used as when the forms shown in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive are employed,

Templates 22 and H8 are developed after the contour desired to be produced at the end of tube I8 is determined. The longitudinal components of the templates remain the same in magnitude as the longitudinal components ofthe cut to be produced. Th transverse components are in-, creased in magnitude due to the limitations imposed upon the apparatus by the siz of the tracing wheels.

In Figs. 8 and 9, anexample of tube contouring is shown. The tube I8 that has been cut in either of the machines illustrated and described, has a slot I9 longitudinally formed thereinto receive gusset plate I9. Because the cut created is always radial in nature, the weld as shown atv W, is the most effective for a minimum amount v of the stock forming the tubes is consumed.

The contour at the end of tube I8 illustrated in Fig. 8, comprises both longitudinal and transverse components and the template T, illustrated in Fig. 10, is that employed to form the end of tube I8. The transverse component at point C on template T, is, in this instance, four times as great as the transverse component on the tube, which is of course, the width of slot I8. The longitudinal component at point D is the the regardless of where the tracing wheel may :be

either a transverse or longitudinal componentor a combination of the two is involved. Briefly, therefore, the template, regardless of its form has longitudinal components indirect ratio to the vertical components of the cut, but the transverse components of the template are longer than the transverse components of the cut.

In the two forms shown in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, the longitudinal components are formed by moving the torch through its path of travel. In other words, the torch is reciprocated as the motor drives the tracing wheels over the faces of the templates. The transverse components of the templates are transmitted to the cut by rotating the tube.

The foregoing specification indicates clearly the manner of operating the contouring apparatus and it is obvious that tubes of relatively small diameters may be cut to proper form withaccuracy and dispatch. The fact that the invention is capable of being embodied in machines having physical characteristics of difierent types,

indicates that any number of difierent machineters Patent is: I

1. In a machine for contouring the ends of tubes, a cutting torch; a template having both transverse and longitudinal components; means for supporting the tube in juxtaposition to the torch; apparatus for rotating the tube in its support, controlled by the transverse components of the template; and means controlled by the longitudinal components of the template for reciprocating the torch as the tube is rotated.

2. In a machine for contouring the ends of tubes, a cutting torch; a table for supporting the torch in juxtaposition to the tube being mounted for the free reciprocation thereof in a direction parallel to the length of the tube;- an annular templat having both transverse and longitudinal components; achuck for rotation of the temthe torch in juxtaposition to the tube being -mounted for the free reciprocation thereof in a direction parallel to the length of the tube; a. planar template having both transverse and longitudinal componentsya chuck for rotation of the tube; tracks for movably supporting the template; means for rotating the chuck controlled by transverse components of the template: and means controlled by the longitudinal components of the template for reciprocating the table as v the tube is rotated.

JOHN S. McGUIRE. 

